Tampon



April 27 1926.

. N. M L. VVHETTAKER TAMPON Filed Sept. 6, 1924 INVENTOR Ella. I

ATTORNEY Patented Apr. .2 7, 1926.

UNITED STATES- NEIL MCI. WHITTAKER, 0F HAGKENSACK, NEW JERSEY.

TAMPON.

Application filed September 6, 1924. Serial No. 736,235.

To all whom it Be it known TAKER, a citizen of the United States, resid-' ing at Hackensack, New

Jersey, have invented a new and useful Tampon, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the therapeutic device known as a tampon, and is primarily designed as a vaginal tampon, although the invention may be embodied in tampons of other sizes suitable for other uses well understood by physicians and surgeons. The object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive device in the nature of a suppository by which a suitable medicament, whether in the form of a liquid or a salve, or paste, may be presented in the desired local application, and retained there without leakage. An important'feature of the invention consists of an absorbent member which is normally thimble-shaped and rigid, but swells and tends to expand and flatten out when moistened.

The invention will be best understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings which illustrate more or less conventionally certain preferred embodiments. In these drawings:

Fig. I illustrates conventionally and diagrammatically the structure of the material of which said thimble is formed;

Fig. II is a longitudinal section through.

a cpmpleted thimble formed of said mater1a Fig. III is a view, partly in longitudinal section, of a complete tampon";

Fig. IV is a longitudinal sectional view of a modification, the inner capsule being dispensed with; and

Fig. V is still another modification, comprising said thimble only.

In, carrying out the invention, any suitable fibrous material such as absorbent cotton is closely compressed (preferably under hydraulic pressure) into thin layers; and a plurality of such thin layers, a, is then closely compressed together (also preferably under hydraulic pressure) between two outside strips, b, of suitable fabric such as gauze or cheesecloth, into an elongated hollow semiellipsoid or hemisphere 6, hereafter referred to as a thimble. This thimble, composed of a closely-compressed plurality of closelycompresse layers of fibrous material such as absorbent cotton, is normally non-compresthe cavity -abuts against sible; and, when moistened, it tends to expand and flatten out from its normal concave shape. Preferably the material of the thimble is rendered antiseptic, either before or after the compression; and it may likewise be impregnated with any desired medicament. The thimble is then fitted into one member 11 of a capsule of suitable ma terial, such as gelatine, which will dissolve readily when applied in use. Then a cord 7 is passed through the center of the thimble and said capsule-member, suitable stops such as two knots 8 and 9 being provided on the cord a suitable distance apart, to prevent its escape. Next an inner and smaller capsule 10, of gelatine or the like, containing the proper medicament, is fitted into the cavity of the assembled thimble and capsule-member; and to the capsule-member 11 is applied a complementary capsule-member 11, completing the enclosure of the thimble and smaller capsule. The completed tampon, as disclosed by Fig. III, may then be'inserted into the vagina, imperforate end forward, the knotted cord 7 remaining outside. The moisture of the patients body will shortly dissolve the capsules, and also cause the fibrous material of the thimble to swell, whereupon the thimble tends to flatten out, forming a secure dam, and preventing any leakage of the medicament set free by the dissolving of the capsules. After the tampon has retained the medicament in place the proper length of time, it can be readily withdrawn by pulling on the knotted cord 7.

If desired, the inner capsule 10 may be dispensed with, and a mass or body .of the proper medicament inserted directly into of the assembled thimble and capsule-member 11, after which the complementary capsule-member 11' is applied, as indicated in Fig. IV; and the tampon can then be used as already set forth.

Or, where the medicament is to be a salve, both capsules can be dispensed with, and the medicament can be applied upon the convex face of the thimble, the cord 7 being drawn forward from the concave side of the thimble so thatits retaining-stop 9 the convex end of the thim le, as shown in then be inserted, convex face foremost, into the vagina. The moisture'will sooncause the fibrous material to swell, flattening the thimble and preventing leakage of the me-.

Fig. V; and the thimble can dicament; and, after the proper length of time, the thimble can be readily withdrawn by its cord.

It Will be understood that the order of steps taken in assembling the tampon may be Varied. The invention and the various Ways of using it have been described in full detail, but merely by way of illustration and not as limiting the invention, which is defined in the appended claims.

The invention having been thus fully described, what is claimed is:

1. A tampon consisting of a plurality of closely compressed layers of fibrous material closely compressed together into the form of a normally rigid thimble, an inner gelatine capsule fitted into the hollow of said thimble and containing a medicament, an outer gelatine capsule enclosing said thimble and inner capsule, and a cord projecting from one end of said thimble and outer capsule.

2. A tampon consisting of a plurality of closely compressed layers of fibrous matwo strips of fabric into the form of a thimble, and a cord projecting from the end of said thimble. i

4. A tampon consisting of a closely compacted pluralityv of closely-compacted laminations of absorbent cotton formed into a thimble, said laminations being so densely compacted that said thimble is normally rigid.

5. A tampon comprising a normally noncompressible and rigid cup-shaped thimble composed of closely compressed absorbent fibrous material which tends to expand and flatten out when moistened.

NEIL MoL. WHITTAKER. 

